The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-11-03
AT TIFF BAROF JUSTICE.
An Editor Murdered in a Court
Room.
The Kentucky Idea Praoticed in Ohio
The Maddened Crowd Attempt
to Lynch the MUIR
derer

kin, q village four miles north of this
place in this county, in which two of
Ashland's prominent people were en-
gagged, and by which w. II. Reynolds.
senior editor of the Times, was killed
almost instantly by James Mason, a
travelling salesman for a steeroscOpic
view company AT the time of the
Fatality tie parties were participants
in jury lawsuit before Justice Bolles.
Reynolds being witness in the case
The suit was brought up by James R.
Mason against Elias Lutz as makerand
%. d. Mason as indorser on a note
The note was given November 6, 1886.
10y Lgtz to G.. D Mason. The defense
set up the claim that the note was Sc
aured by false and fraudulent preten-
.ses, on Which account Lutz refused to
iquidate the note. @. d. Mason trans
'e1ed the above note to the Farmers
Bank last February, but the bank
afterwards threatened Mason with
.suit unless he took it back. G. D.
Z Mason then transferred the note to his
brother, James r. Mason, and the latter
sued torecoyert the amount $52.GO, before
Squire Plank of this place. II. A,
Mykrantz, attorney for the defendant,
lad the case transferred to Squire j.
d. Jones, also of this place Plank being
% witness. Mykrantz made a motion
before Justice Jones to have the
case dismissed for want of jurisdiction
over Lutz, who resides in Orange town.
ship, this county. This was finally
done, and the case was brought up
before Squire Bolles of Nanllin
The trial was commenced Saturday
morning at 10 o'clock before jury. j.
S. Wertman and John w. Fry appeared
LOr the prosecution, while r.. NJ. Camp
bell and II, A. Mykrantz represented
the defense. G. d. Mason was the
principal witness in, the case, and was,
It is aid. the real party interested. The
position taken by the defendant Lutz
was sustained by Reynolds, who was
assisting him in the case.
For several years past bad blood has
existed between the Mason brothers
and Reynolds, the latter having aired
their characters to considerable extent
through the columns of his paper. G.
d. Mason was a part proprietor of the
Weekly Gazette, a paper started some
seven months ago to run out the Times
which famed into fame the smolder.
ing feud between them. Reynolds pub.
Iished several articles in regard to the
note deal, referring to it as a swindle OF
the ranbest sort. Mason brought suit
against Reynolds for $1,000 on the
grounds of criminal libel. Reynolds
was in this way interested in the suit,
as its termination would affect the libel
suit.
AS the trial progressed James r.
Mason, the plaintiff, was brought on
The witness stand. In the cross exam
nation Of Mason a question was asked
him by r. NJ. Campbell which muddled
him. His brother, c. D. Mason, also
raised an objection to the question,
which was clearly out of his province.
Words ensued and G. ID. Mason wound
up by telling Campbell that he was no
gentleman. Reynolds broke in then,
saying: "We will find out who the gem
tlemen are today" At this G. d.
Mason, who, it appears, was only wait
ing for pretext, jumped to his feet and
grabbing chair, raised it aloft, ex-
claiming as he did so "YOu Ou---
we won't listen to anything from your
"What's that?" said Reynolds, rising
from his seat and clutching the round
of the uplifted chair, and picking up
his cane he dealt Mason a powerful
blow on the shoulder. When James r.
Mason saw Reynolds strike his brother
he raised himself with extreme cool
ness, and as he saw Reynolds strike the
second blow, he deliberately pulled out
a 38-caliber revolver and, leveling it at
Reynolds, fired two shots in rapid sue
cession. Reynolds staggere1 a few
steps and then, throwing up his hands,
exclaimed, "My Godl he has shot me-"
Reynolds only lived few minutes, per
haps fifteen.
Mason was surrounded by an excited,
angry mob and rushed violently down
the steps of the court room. Cries of
"Lynch him." sounded through the vii
lage streets. Several men pounced up
on the culprit and throwing him upon
the ground choked him quite severely.
A rope was secured, but by timely in
tercession the crowd was prevailed up
on to let the law take its course. This
was finally acceded to and Mason was
brought to Ashland and lodged in Jail.
The body of Reynolds was conveyed to
Ashland and taken to his home this af-
ternOOn.
The streets in this city have been
crowded since noon by an angry mob,
who talked very freely of lynching Ma
son. The first ball fired by Mason
lodged in the right side, penetrating the
right lung. The second ball took effect
in the abdomen. Either would have
killed him.
Reynolds was 43 years of age, mar
ried and had one daughter, He served
with distinction in the late war and
was wounded in the battle at Kenesaw
He has always been char
lcterized by an aggressive and fearless
manner in all his dealings and has
made hosts of friends in the county.
Mason is young man 30 years of age !
Ind single. He has always been held
n high esteem by his fellow citizens,
moved in the highest circles of society
Il IL Il, "A,